Senator Biden: Bush Budget Turns Back on Law Enforcement
By newsdesk - Posted on February 5th, 2008
February 4, 2008 -- Washington, DC – Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Drugs and author of the landmark 1994 Crime Bill, Senator Joseph R. Biden, Jr. (D-DE), criticized President Bush's FY 2009 Budget Proposal today because it fails to fund critical law enforcement and crime prevention programs.
“This President is out of touch with reality if he thinks we can keep crime down and our neighborhoods safe, while at the same time denying our folks in law enforcement the tools and resources they need to do their job,” said Senator Joe Biden.
Specifically, President Bush’s Budget includes zero funding for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and zero funding for the Justice Assistance Grant program. The Brookings Institution, an independent think-tank published a policy briefing in March 2007 (Briefing #158) entitled, "More COPS." The authors, Yale economist John Donohue, III and Georgetown economist Jens Ludwig state that the COPS program contributed to the drop in crime during the 1990s and is one of the most cost-effective options for fighting crime. The policy briefing states that each $1.4 billion invested in the COPS program is likely to generate a benefit to society from $6 billion to $12 billion.
“Even in spite of such success, the Bush Administration repeatedly cuts COPS funding – year after year. But honestly, this year – with zero funding for both COPS and Justice Assistance Grants – it is shocking,” said Senator Biden.
The President’s Budget Proposal’s total law enforcement assistance funding of $404 million represents a drastic departure from the $2-$3 billion funding for state and local law enforcement assistance prior to this Administration. At the same time, the President has slashed grants from the Department of Homeland Security to help protect the homeland by over $1.5 billion, including substantial cuts to rail security and port security grants. “This President has asked law enforcement to do so much – to protect our communities not only from crime, but terrorism as well. And as they always do – they’ve stepped up to the plate to keep us safe,” added Senator Biden. “But this Administration has shortchanged funding for law enforcement at every juncture. We must keep our commitment to law enforcement, just as they’ve always kept their commitment to us.”
Senator Biden wrote to the President last week specifically requesting that funding for COPS and Justice Assistance Grants be restored as part of the President’s FY2009 Budget Proposal. The full letter is below:
February 1, 2008
Dear Mr. President:
I urge you to restore funding for the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Grant (Byrne/JAG) program and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program in your fiscal year 2009 budget request to Congress.
Throughout the 1990s we funded Byrne/JAG and COPS at more than $2 billion per year and, with our help, law enforcement officers and prevention programs drove crime rates down by 30 percent. This year more than 1.4 million Americans will fall victim to violent crime, more than 445,000 Americans will be robbed, and more than 17,000 Americans will be murdered. This level of crime in our country is unacceptable when there are cost-effective programs that will drive these numbers lower.
The police officers and sheriffs walking the beat tell me that these programs are vital to their ability to protect America from crime and terrorism. Productive, law-abiding citizens who participated in Boys and Girls Clubs and other prevention programs that Byrne/JAG funded tell me that they could not have done it without the programs you propose to cut. And, citizens who have overcome the debilitating disease of drug addiction and lead healthy, meaningful lives tell me that drug courts and treatment programs funded by Byrne/JAG literally saved their lives.
Cuts to Byrne/JAG funding will force states and localities this year to close hundreds of multi-jurisdictional drug and gang task forces and cut back or eliminate after-school and mentoring programs around the country. Such programs are vital to creating communities free from the fear of violence and drugs, where it is safe to raise families, educate children, work an honest job, or run a business.
The steps we took in the 1990s have left us with the lowest crime rates in a generation. Now is not the time to abandon what works and walk away from our commitment to fighting crime. Please support our men and women on the front lines by restoring Byrne/JAG and the COPS hiring program in your 2009 budget request.
Sincerely,
Joseph R. Biden, Jr.
Source: Senator Joe Biden
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